Joe Williams Tribute Night at the Skyview Drive-In Slashfest

Join the St. Louis Film Critics Association for an evening of classic horror films during our Joe Williams Tribute Night at the Skyview Drive-In's annual Slashfest on October 9, 2015.

The StLFCA membership invites Joe's family, friends, co-workers and movie fans throughout the area to attend the first evening of the Belleville, Illinois outdoor event. Please gather with us that Friday night at Screen 2 for the "Hardcore Slashfest" lineup of groundbreaking originals by three iconic horror masters: John Carpenter's Halloween (1978) at 8 p.m.; Wes Craven's A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) at 9:40 p.m.; and Sam Raimi's The Evil Dead (1981) at midnight.

Alternatively, filmgoers can move to Screen 1 at midnight for The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975). Earlier in the evening, Screen 1 will show the "Family Slashfest" lineup, beginning with Hocus Pocus (1993) at 8 p.m. and continuing with Gremlins (1984) at 9:45 p.m.

New this year is entertainment by the Misfits tribute band We Bite, which will play from 7 to 8 p.m., prior to the fist films of the evening. The band will appear in costume, arrive in a hearse, and will be available for photos after they play.

Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch film critic for 15 years, died in a car accident July 26, 2015. He was a major supporter of drive-in movies, and a big fan of the Skyview, where he often sat under the stars with family and friends.

Williams, 56, had served as StLFCA president, elected in March 2014. He was one of the founders of the local film critics group, and a champion of local film appreciation and our region.

StLFCA will honor Williams at the upcoming St. Louis International Film Festival (Nov. 5-15), with dedication of a plaque in the Tivoli Theatre lobby, and has named its juried documentary film award for him.

The 66-year-old Skyview Drive-In, located at 5700 North Belt West in Belleville, IL 62226, is the only drive-in remaining in the metropolitan St. Louis region. For the final weekend of the season, they present a horror film lineup voted on by their patrons.

The Skyview Drive-In opens at 6:30 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults. Two children, age 12 and under, are admitted free per paying adult, and additional child tickets are $3. Only cash is accepted at the box office.

For more information on the Joe Williams Tribute, contact Lynn Venhaus, StLFCA secretary, at 618-917-8175, or email: lynnvenhaus@gmail.com.

For more information on the Skyview Drive-In, visit their website, www.skyview-drive-in.com, or their Facebook page, or call 618-233-4400.